Certified Flight Instructor - Flight Instructor Airplane Practice Exam

What would cause the 45° point to be reached before the maximum pitch-up attitude during a lazy eight maneuver?

1. Beginning with too slow a rate of roll.

2. Beginning with too rapid a rate of roll.

3. Allowing the airspeed to remain too high.

4. Too much back pressure on the yoke.

The correct answer is: Beginning with too rapid a rate of roll.

In the lazy eight maneuver, reaching the 45° point before achieving the maximum pitch-up attitude typically indicates that the aircraft is being rolled too quickly. This rapid rate of roll can disrupt the intended balance between pitch and roll, leading to an undesired flight path. When the roll is initiated too rapidly, the aircraft can gain excessive bank angle prematurely, which in turn might lead to a reduction in the effective pitch-up maneuver as the pilot struggles to maintain the proper control inputs needed for a smooth transition through different phases of the lazy eight. The resulting dynamics, where the aircraft rotates more around its vertical axis rather than achieving the optimal pitch before executing the necessary roll, contribute to reaching the 45° point ahead of the desired pitch-up attitude. The other options focus on different aspects of flight control. A slow rate of roll wouldn't force the aircraft to achieve the 45° point too early; maintaining high airspeed could affect maneuver control but wouldn't specifically cause the issue described; and excessive back pressure could stall the maneuver or limit the roll response but would not directly lead to an early 45° bank angle. Understanding the balance of roll and pitch is crucial to executing the lazy eight effectively.